CINCINNATI – Alex Cobb went seven innings on Saturday, extending Tampa Bay’s run of solid starting pitching, and James Loney homered for a 1-0 victory over the slumping Cincinnati Reds.

The Rays came into the interleague series with a 1-8 mark against Cincinnati. They’ve taken the first two games with shutdown pitching and just enough offense.

Cobb (1-1) pitched seven shutout inning against Texas on Sunday but got a no-decision. He kept the scoreless streak going Saturday, limiting Cincinnati’s struggling lineup to four hits without walking a batter.

Grant Balfour, who fanned Brayan Pena with the bases loaded to end Friday night’s game, got three outs for his fourth save in as many chances, finishing off the four-hitter.

Loney led off the second inning with his first homer against Alfredo Simon (1-1), who matched his career high with eight innings and allowed only five hits.

Cincinnati stranded a pair at third base and had runners thrown out at third and home, extending its run of wasteful offense.

The Reds have lost all four of their series this season, falling to 3-8 for the first time since 1995, when they won the NL Central.

The Rays opened the series with a 2-1 win Friday night, when David Price took a shutout into the ninth before Joey Votto homered with one out. Rays starters have thrown at least seven shutout innings four times in the last six games.

It was Tampa Bay’s second shutout of the season, and the second time the Reds have been shut out. The Reds also were blanked 1-0 by the Cardinals on opening day.

• Latos gets MRI: Reds starting pitcher Mat Latos had an MRI on his sore pitching forearm Saturday, a new problem that leaves him unsure of the next step in his recovery from a knee injury.

The right-hander had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow after last season. His comeback was on schedule until he tore cartilage in his left knee while throwing in February. He had surgery the day the Reds opened camp.

Latos was one of eight Reds who opened the season on the disabled list.

The Reds were hoping to have him back by the middle of April, but his latest setback has pushed that back.

Latos was scratched from a rehab start in the minors this week because of elbow soreness. He threw on Friday but had to stop when his forearm became sore.

“Now it’s the forearm,” Latos said. “We thought we had it hammered out, but it came back on me.”

The Reds were awaiting the test results before deciding the next step.